October 1-7, 2000
MEMORY VERSE: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28.
STUDY HELP: Patriarchs and Prophets, 63–70.
INTRODUCTION: “As the high priest laid aside his gorgeous pontifical robes, and officiated in the white linen dress of the common priest, so Christ took the form of a servant, and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the victim. ‘He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.’ Isaiah 53:5. Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His.” Desire of Ages, 25.
“If a Soul Sin”
1 What is the Bible’s only definition of sin? 1 John 3:4. Compare Romans 4:15.
NOTE: “The apostle gives us the true definition of sin. ‘Sin is the transgression of the law.’ The largest class of Christ’s professed ambassadors are blind guides. They lead the people away from the path of safety by representing the requirements and prohibitions of the ancient law of Jehovah as arbitrary and severe. They give the sinner license to overstep the limits of God’s law. In this they are like the great adversary of souls, opening before them a life of freedom in violation of God’s commandments. With this lawless freedom the basis of moral responsibility is gone.” Confrontation, 75.
2 What law did Adam and Eve break? Genesis 2:16, 17. Compare Genesis 3:1–6.
NOTE: “What reason have men for thinking that God is not particular whether they obey Him implicitly or take their own course? Adam and Eve lost Eden for one transgression of His command; and how dare we trifle with the law of the Most High, and frame deceitful apologies to our souls? We do this at a terrible peril. We must keep all the law, every jot and tittle; for he that offendeth in one point is guilty of all. Every ray of light must be received and cherished, or we shall become bodies of darkness.” Reflecting Christ, 54.
“The Wages of Sin”
3 What is the penalty for man’s sins? Genesis 2:17; 3:4; Romans 6:23; James 1:15.
NOTE: See Great Controversy, 539, 540, 544.
4 Does God hold all men guilty for Adam’s sin? Romans 5:12. Compare Deuteronomy 24:16, Ezekiel 18:19, 20.
NOTE: “There are many who in their hearts murmur against God. They say, ‘We inherit the fallen nature of Adam, and are not responsible for our natural imperfections.’ They find fault with God’s requirements, and complain that He demands what they have no power to give. Satan made the same complaint in heaven, but such thoughts dishonor God.” Signs of the Times, August 29, 1892.
See also Patriarchs and Prophets, 306.
“God so Loved the World”
5 What remedy for man’s sins did God devise? Genesis 3:15.
NOTE: “The news of man’s fall spread through heaven, every harp was hushed. The angels cast their crowns from their heads in sorrow. All heaven was in agitation. A council was held to decide what must be done with the guilty pair. The anxiety of the angels seemed to be intense while Jesus was communing with His Father…Jesus told them that He would…leave all His glory in heaven, appear upon earth as a man, humble Himself as a man,…and that finally, after His mission as a teacher would be accomplished, He would be delivered into the hands of men, and endure almost every cruelty and suffering that Satan and his angels could inspire men to inflict; that He would die the cruelest of deaths, hung up between the heavens and the earth as a guilty sinner; that He should suffer dreadful hours of agony, which even angels could not look upon, but would veil their faces from the sight.…The angels prostrated themselves before Him. They offered their lives. Jesus said to them that He would, by His death, save many; that the life of an angel could not pay the debt. His life alone could be accepted of the Father as a ransom for man.” The Truth about Angels, 60.
6 How did God convey to the guilty pair the truth that only Christ’s blood could atone for their sin? Genesis 3:21.
NOTE: “Fig leaves sewed together have been employed since the days of Adam, yet the nakedness of the soul of the sinner is not covered. All the arguments pieced together by all who have interested themselves in this flimsy robe will come to naught. Sin is the transgression of the law. Christ was manifest in our world to take away transgression and sin, and to substitute for the covering of fig leaves the pure robes of His righteousness. The law of God stands vindicated by the suffering and death of the only begotten Son of the infinite God.” The Upward Look, 378.
“By Faith, Abel….”
7 How did Abel express his faith in the blood of Jesus Christ as the only remedy for his sin? Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 11:4.
NOTE: “Cain and Abel were representatives of the two great classes. Abel, as priest, in solemn faith offered his sacrifice. Cain was willing to offer the fruit of his ground, but refused to connect with his offering the blood of beasts. His heart refused to show his repentance for sin, and his faith in a Saviour, by offering the blood of beasts. He refused to acknowledge his need of a Redeemer. This, to his proud heart, was dependence and humiliation. But Abel, by faith in a future Redeemer, offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. His offering the blood of beasts signified that he was a sinner and had sins to put away, and that he was penitent and believed in the efficacy of the blood of the future great offering.” Confrontation, 22–23.
8 What evidence do we have that this truth was known to other patriarchs? Genesis 8:20; 12:7, 8; 26:25; 31:54.
NOTE: See Patriarchs and Prophets, 128.
9 In what special way did God help Abraham to understand what the sacrifice of His Son meant? Genesis 22:1–14.
NOTE: See Desire of Ages, 469.
“Let Them Make Me a Sanctuary”
10 Why was the first sanctuary built? Exodus 25:8. Compare Hebrews 9:8, 9.
NOTE: The phrase translated “holiest of all” in the King James Bible (Hebrews 9:8) is “ta hagia” in the Greek and should be rendered “the sanctuary”, meaning literally “the holy places.” It is so translated in Hebrews 8:2, and 9:1,2. The failure to translate Paul’s terms consis-tently in these chapters had led to great confusion. Similar inconsistency is found in the New King James Version and other recent versions.
“The question, “What is the sanctuary?” is clearly answered in the Scriptures. The term ‘sanctuary,’ as used in the Bible, refers, first, to the tabernacle built by Moses, as a pattern of heavenly things; and, secondly, to the ‘true tabernacle’ in heaven, to which the earthly sanctuary pointed. At the death of Christ the typical service ended. The ‘true tabernacle’ in heaven is the sanctuary of the new covenant. The holy places of the sanctuary in heaven are represented by the two apartments in the sanctuary on earth. As in vision the apostle John was granted a view of the temple of God in heaven….Moses made the earthly sanctuary after a pattern which was shown him. Paul teaches that that pattern was the true sanctuary which is in heaven. And John testifies that he saw it in heaven. The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth.” The Faith I Live By, 202.
11 What sacrifice is required for Christ to minister as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary? Hebrews 9:23–26.
NOTE: See Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, 160 and See also Patriarchs and Prophets, 343.
“Ye do Show the Lord’s Death”
12 In what way does Jesus help us to understand the importance of His sacrifice? 1 Corinthians 11:26.
NOTE: See Desire of Ages, 660, 661.
13 What work of preparation is necessary before we can avail ourselves of the emblems of His sacrifice? 1 Corinthians 11:27, 28.
NOTE: “Let every believer closely examine himself to ascertain what are his weak points. Let him cherish a spirit of humility and plead with the Lord for grace and wisdom and for the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Let him cast away all self-confidence.…Self-confidence leads to a lack of watchfulness.…Those who walk humbly before God, distrustful of their own wisdom, will realize their danger and will know the power of God’s keeping care.” In Heavenly Places, 97.